‘Blithe Spirit’ production
Puck about to drop
Students hone supernatural sides
Blaze looks like a contender again
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www.savagepacer.com
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2011
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Sen. Klobuchar visits Fabcon during ‘Made in America’ tour The visit coincides with the manufacturing company’s 40th anniversary BY AMY LYON editor@savagepacer.com
Join the fun at WinterFest Dec. 1 The annual WinterFest celebration will take place Thursday, Dec. 1 in downtown Savage on 123rd Street. Some of the activities include: 5-8 p.m. Visits and photos with Santa Leo (Break 5:45-6:45 p.m.) 6-8 p.m. Caroling outside The Savage Depot 6:15 p.m. Tree Lighting Ceremony 6:30 p.m. WinterDazzle Parade 6:45-8 p.m. Performances inside Neisen’s Event Center
Sen. Amy Klobuchar made a stop in Savage Monday afternoon at the Fabcon manufacturing plant just off of Highway 13 as part of her “Made in America” economic tour. She requested the visit, along with visits to several other Minnesota businesses, in an effort to better understand the industry and to further her mission of promoting long-term economic growth and job creation. “We really enjoyed her visit,” said Fabcon President and CEO Mike LeJeune. “She was very interested and seemed to have a good understanding of the industry.” Klobuchar asked questions about the history of Fabcon and the precast concrete panels it manufactures, then went on a tour of the facility and learned about Fabcon’s manufacturing process. She also took time to shake hands with several of the workers and asked them about their jobs. After the tour, Klobuchar asked LeJeune, “What would be helpful in Washington?” “Basically, do something. End the gridlock,” LeJeune said. “Almost anything would be better than what we’ve been experiencing. There’s a lot of uncertainty. Building a building is the ultimate expression of confidence and right now people don’t have that confidence.”
Ongoing free activities: Horse-drawn wagon rides, live reindeer, S’mores, apple cider and hot chocolate, live music, kids’ crafts and activities, food vendors, gourmet coffee tasting, Business Expo, scavenger hunt throughout downtown businesses.
$100,000: City gets early holiday gift BY AMY LYON editor@savagepacer.com
HOPE ON HORIZON Fabcon’s headquarters in Savage employs 200 individuals, and its two other manufacturing plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania employ another 320 people. “Our fourth plant in Indiana didn’t survive the recession,” LeJeune told
Fabcon to page 12 ®
FILE PHOTO
Santa Leo will assist with the Tree Lighting Ceremony and will make an appearance during the WinterDazzle Parade.
PHOTO BY AMY LYON
Fabcon President and CEO Mike LeJeune gives Sen. Amy Klobuchar a tour of the company’s manufacturing plant in Savage. Klobuchar visited the plant Monday afternoon as part of her “Made in America” economic tour.
Larry Ross, president of B.F. Nelson Corporation, has given money to the city of Savage in the past. But, his check for $100,000 received Friday, Nov. 18, is his largest donation to date. City Administrator Barry Stock announced the donation at the end of the city council meeting on Monday, Nov. 21. “This is not the fi rst time this has happened,” said Mayor Janet Williams. “Mr. Ross has a business in the Savage Business Park and there were a number of years that he donated.” Ross’ fi rst donation to the city of $69,000 arrived in 2003 and was used to purchase a new emergency warning siren, asphalt surface for the skate park, and miscellaneous of f ice fu r nitu re and computer equipment. In December of 2005, he donated $52,000; in January of 2007,
he donated $60,000; and in December of 2007, he donated $50,000. Stock said that Ross told him in 1999 after the fi nal decision was made to move B.F. Nelson, a paper packaging manufacturer, into Savage that once he got his feet on the ground, he wanted to be a supporter of the city. Ross stayed true to his word. “This is the fi rst time it has been anything this large,” said Williams. “These are typically items that have been requested by staff that don’t always make it into the budget, so we’re really appreciative of what he has done.” Stock said Ross is a private individual and Williams added, “He’s someone who doesn’t want a lot of publicity about this.” Ross contacted Stock in October of this year and said he wanted to make a contribution to the city. He requested a list of needs and Stock
Gift to page 3 ®
Students thank soldiers with ‘Adopt a Hero’ drive BY MERYN FLUKER mfluker@swpub.com
Students at Bridges Area Learning Center began giving thanks a little early this holiday season. Last week, the staff and students at the Prior Lake school kicked off their first ever “penny war,” a fundraising competition between second-hour classes. Students collect currency – pennies are worth positive points but all other coins, as well as bills, subtract from a group’s point total, with the goal to have the greatest number of points – with the funds going toward the purchase of portable DVD players for members of the U.S. military who have been wounded in Afghanistan. “They’re all negative by at least 1,000 points,” said Sarah Osojnicki, the social studies teacher behind the fundraiser. “Whoever wins is
probably going to be the highest negative number … I’m getting more dollars and silver coins than pennies.” With $110 already collected, this marks the second year that students at Bridges have collected on behalf of Adopt a Hero, an organization that matches military personnel abroad with people at home who send care packages to the troops. Osojnicki found Adopt a Hero while flipping through a magazine last year and asked a friend and veteran about the group. “He said it was so nice what this program does for the soldiers,” she recalled. Osojnicki knew she couldn’t afford to do the program alone, so she took the idea to her boss, Dave Brown, who is not only the dean of students at Bridges but also an active member of the National Guard, and he told her to go for it. Osojnicki and the rest of the
staff and students collected enough items to send 15 care packages to Afghanistan last year for Eric Chelberg, a Marine working in communication. Among the things the students sent were toiletries, stationery, books and snacks – “anything that wasn’t chocolate,” due to the harshly hot weather. Because Chelberg worked in communication, he was able to connect with the students. Osojnicki was teaching a class on current events and was able to have her students e-mail and chat with Chelberg about what life at war is really like. Chelberg also sent the students photos of his base and what common American things, like Mountain Dew bottles, looked like in Afghanistan. “It helped them want to give him stuff,” Osojnicki said. “At first, it
Bridges to page 3 ®
PHOTO BY LORI CARLSON
Bridges Area Learning Center students Wyatt Wiseman (left) and Derik Fullmer accept collections in the cafeteria at Twin Oaks Middle School.
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